This is a discussion on Is This Cheating? (SoftPlay) within the online poker forums, in the General Poker section; Is it cheating when players raise and bet aggressively against everyone at the table, excluding their buddy.

You joined in Aug 2007 and you're still an Aspiring Member?!!? Tough Moderators on this website!!!

More information is needed to make that assessment. Is it two buddies that 'raise and bet aggressively against everyone at the table' until it is the two of them heads up? Or aggressively betting until it is the three of them (the two buddies) against one? In reality, just a version of the first scenario. Is it one or both betting/raising aggressively every hand to isolate?

One solution could be to bring it to the attention of the poker room manager but I'm not sure the PM will be able to do too much about it. And if it become obvious to the infraction players that it was you that was causing the commotion, they may turn their aggression against you...

At my B&M, I have several players that play to win every single hand, regardless of their holdings. They show up with everything under the sun. I've found the very best way to avoid their play every hand, raise/reraise style, is to table change or find a different room to play in. If you think there is cheating going on, find a different table and/or casino.

#5

30th August 2017, 12:29 AM

PokerNuts01 [2,256]

Poker at: pokerstars

Game: holdem

Originally Posted by DonksRUs

You joined in Aug 2007 and you're still an Aspiring Member?!!? Tough Moderators on this website!!!

His status does not depend on the time he is a member, just from the activity!

#6

30th August 2017, 12:38 AM

ritehere [272]

Online Poker at: ACR

Game: holdem

re: Poker & Is This Cheating? (SoftPlay)

Is it cheating "NO" Is it unethical "ABSOLUTELY"

#7

30th August 2017, 12:40 AM

Diegol [484]

Game: Hold'em

I think that kind of plays had to be penalty in some way

#8

30th August 2017, 1:12 AM

pokerninja18 [11]

Online Poker at: 888

Game: holdem

The Verdict

Originally Posted by cracker

Is it cheating when players raise and bet aggressively against everyone at the table, excluding their buddy.

For years, public opinion has varied greatly in relation to the integrity of online poker. There are many conspiracy theories ranging from the 'curse of the uprising' to the 'appetizing pots' individually prepared by the sites to create action and generate more rake. Some players believe that if they count to 10 before going all-in, they are less likely to lose. Most of the grinders in the Vic Card room in London believe that only spies, crooks and mentally imbalanced players are playing poker on the Internet.

In fact, online poker is going through hard times. The "Black Friday" to recent events related to Full Tilt Poker have pushed the online poker game to discredit. For a company of this magnitude to lose its state of grace so quickly and dramatically, it is almost inconceivable, and the skeptics take advantage soon to prepare their weapons.

The method

For most online poker players, bad beats and downswings are part of the game. The 'manipulation' theory is simply a byproduct of variance. However, there is already a light at the bottom of the tunnel for the unbelievers, since a website is trying to respond to the great debate of antiquity. The Online Poker Watchdog team conducted a series of tests on millions of hands from the biggest online poker sites to determine if there was statistical evidence of 'manipulation' or dishonesty. The site claims to be an independent statistical auditor, focused solely on maximizing the integrity of the game.

PokerStars, PartyPoker and the OnGame network were the three poker operators that have been audited so far. The research consisted of two tests and was fairly simple and similar in all three cases. In first place, the analysis was done in more than one million hands, compared to the expected number of hands that they would gain in relation to the current number of hands they won. The second test divided the hands by those ahead and behind the preflop, and then compared with the expected numbers.

The results

The PokerStars review was based on a sample of one million hands and 69,663 Sit & Go preflop all-ins and tournaments. The expected result suggested that 35,748 of these hands would win. In fact, 35,850 hands won, which means a deviation of +102. For those who are trained in mathematics, this is a result very close to normal. When compared to the all-ins ahead and behind pre-flop, the statistics proved again to be close to normal.

The PartyPoker review featured a base of 1.26 million hands and 11,984 hands of $ 50NL full ring cash games. The expected result was that 6,267 of these hands would win. In fact, 6,198.5 won, which means a deviation of -68. The all-in pre-flop comparison proved once again to be very close to normal.

The analysis on the Ongame network studied a sample of 1.42 million hands and 12,306 hands from the $ 30NL short handed cash games tables. The expected result was that 6,457 of these hands would win. In fact, 6,454.5 hands won for a deviation of only -2.5. The comparison to the pre-flop all-ins also ended again without surprises and within normal.

: D: D

Online Poker Watchdog statistics are pretty clear. None of the operators presented indications of manipulation in their analyzes. Although most players have never believed that online gambling was manipulated, let's hope these statistics prove something. Although the legal situation related to online poker is still unclear in some countries, it is always good news to know that the integrity of the game on the major players is intact and secure.

His status does not depend on the time he is a member, just from the activity!

Got that right! As you can see,i joined 8 mths ago

#10

30th August 2017, 4:28 AM

Zorba [30,330]

Game: nudetwister

Originally Posted by ritehere

Is it cheating "NO" Is it unethical "ABSOLUTELY"

Yes, soft playing is against the T&C's of most sites, it is colluding IMHO.

Originally Posted by terryk

Got that right! As you can see,i joined 8 mths ago

Just wait, it gets worse.

#11

30th August 2017, 5:46 AM

CHAVIKI [206]

Poker at: pokerstars

Game: holdem

grat advices

Thnkyou for all your advices personally I've have been not able to detect such activity i'll be aware to that type of behavior. thanks

#12

30th August 2017, 7:13 AM

marakhovskii [513]

re: Poker & Is This Cheating? (SoftPlay)

Look at this as an opportunity to play with two players who have a weak spot and a good hand punishes the bad guys.

#13

30th August 2017, 7:28 AM

MikeCarasone [124]

Poker at: Pokerstars

Game: Holdem

Soft playing any opponent deliberately is cheating.

#14

30th August 2017, 9:21 PM

Gnikace [130]

It is a collusion... hence it is cheating.

#15

31st August 2017, 3:38 PM

tagece [1,106]

Poker at: Pokerstars

Game: Holdem

I don't believe poker online is rigged.
But there are players trying collusions or play with with multiple logins. I knew about a guy, who build a kind of lan house in his home, with four players in same table using different IPs. He made some money and some days after all the players were banned. It's not so easy...

#16

31st August 2017, 6:36 PM

vitalii029 [584]

Online Poker at: Poker stars

Game: Holdem

most often it is really cheating

#17

31st August 2017, 7:17 PM

matnautico [240]

Poker at: PokerStars

Game: Holdem

I dont think so, its fair to have different strategies for different opponents. Its a grey area for sure but I would not call it cheating.

#18

4th September 2017, 1:34 PM

neiltur [111]

Online Poker at: pokerstars

Game: hold'em

re: Poker & Is This Cheating? (SoftPlay)

cheat when you try to steal without having anything.

#19

4th September 2017, 5:28 PM

Reprise [67]

Game: holdem

A story a dealer once told me two buddies checked down their monster hands. These monster hands were bad beat qualifying hands but since they didn't raise the hand they didn't qualify.

#20

4th September 2017, 5:32 PM

Serjo600 [639]

Online Poker at: PS Party 888

Game: razz

Originally Posted by cracker

Is it cheating when players raise and bet aggressively against everyone at the table, excluding their buddy.

it's just a way to outbid your hand

#21

4th September 2017, 5:53 PM

Aparajit [805]

Poker at: fulltilt

Game: holdem

Yes definitely. its called colluding. Once pokerstars sent me an email and refunded me $8 saying that Players on my sit and go table colluded.

But I played a $50 games and I'm like give me all of it. They were like, the colluded players already withdraw so they just split the remaining amount among the rest of the players. I got only $8.

I'm like you cheated you should refund etc, They were like As we are sending this email, its a proof that we take this very seriously and caught the players. But we cant get the funds back as we cant take responsibility etc.

I stopped playin poker for sometime after it. Then started again.

#22

18th September 2017, 1:10 AM

fa1920 [274]

Online Poker at: Pokerstars

Game: Holdem

I am in favor of online poker is rigged ahahaha

#23

18th September 2017, 2:11 AM

MoeJurphy [1,063]

Originally Posted by fa1920

I am in favor of online poker is rigged ahahaha

then why play if you think this?

#24

18th September 2017, 2:19 AM

fa1920 [274]

Online Poker at: Pokerstars

Game: Holdem

re: Poker & Is This Cheating? (SoftPlay)

Originally Posted by MoeJurphy

then why play if you think this?

Because I'm crazy

#25

18th September 2017, 2:30 AM

MoeJurphy [1,063]

Originally Posted by fa1920

Because I'm crazy

#26

18th September 2017, 4:57 AM

Rational Madman [2,481]

Online Poker at: PokerStars

Game: HE NL always

Keep your head down, mouth shut and tell the mods that you simply find it very hard to read that player so you bet soft in fear.

Make sure to not play often with that person, this will support your case that it's fear as opposed to mercy.

Corruption only works if you don't speak of it.

#27

18th September 2017, 6:46 AM

Syltan [1,126]

Poker at: Pokerstars

Game: holdem

Cheating when 6 friends sit at the table and perform the task
at PokerStars

#28

18th September 2017, 11:23 AM

Acunaaldje [126]

Online Poker at: Pokerstars

Game: Holdem

Originally Posted by ritehere

Is it cheating "NO" Is it unethical "ABSOLUTELY"

Completely agree, but it happends....so you'll have tot deal with it unfortunatly...

#29

19th September 2017, 2:31 AM

MikeCarasone [124]

Poker at: Pokerstars

Game: Holdem

Definitely. Softplaying a friend is cheating. If your going easy on a friend or a nice person, hot member of the opposite sex it's giving them an unfair edge that your not going to everyone.

#30

19th September 2017, 2:45 AM

CallmeFloppy [573]

Online Poker at: ACR

Game: Hold-Em

re: Poker & Is This Cheating? (SoftPlay)

If a player is playing differently against another player in a way that benefits that other player, I would define that as collusion, which is a form of cheating.